Google Podcasts Closure: Everything You Need to Know
Google Podcasts, a popular app for podcast lovers, officially closed on April 2nd in the United States and was scheduled to close everywhere globally yesterday. The app's discontinuation marks yet another journey to the Google graveyard. Here's everything you need to know about the closure and what it means for both podcasters and listeners.
The End of an Era for Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts began its journey towards closure in January 2023, when it was removed from Google search. Despite being the tech giant's third attempt at a podcast player, Google Podcasts was almost six years old at the time of its closure. Following the departure of founder Zach Renau Wadeen in September 2021, no new feature updates were introduced to the app, signaling the beginning of the end.
Essential Steps for Podcasters
If you host a podcast, it's crucial to check if your content is still linking to Google Podcasts from your website and promptly remove those links. The key steps you should take include:
Download Your Podcast Stats: You have until July 30th to retrieve your podcast statistics from the Google Podcast Manager. Make sure to download and store your data before the deadline.
Submit RSS Feeds to YouTube Music: Google Podcast Manager provides an option to submit your RSS feeds to YouTube Music, the company's preferred successor to Google Podcasts. YouTube Music supports RSS feeds and is where Google recommends transitioning your podcast.
For Podcast Listeners
Listeners should note that Google's help pages have yet to be updated, making it appear that the app is still available. Despite the closure, astonishingly, the app is still available for installation on Android devices. Thus, listeners must take action to switch to alternative podcast platforms promptly.
Source of Information
All this information has been sourced from Pod News. For more details and updates on the latest developments in the podcasting world, visit the Pod News website.
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